How To Nail A One Rep Max Every Time

Lift Heavier Than Ever With This Secret Formula

Another all-too-late night at the gym, and you're sitting there next to a stack of plates with one goal — to lift heavy. While we admire your determination and dedication to the cause (read: skipping out on beers after work ), the reality is that a will to pick things up and put them down isn't the only thing you need for weightlifting success.

"A lot of guys just pop into the gym, do a little bit of this, a little bit of that, break a sweat, maybe get a pump and head out," says strength and nutrition coach and C9 by Target fitness ambassador Adam Rosante, author of The 30-Second Body. "Having a planned workout isn't the same thing as having a comprehensive workout plan. One lasts a day while the other lasts several weeks, minimum. Trust me. It makes all the difference in the world."

Want to hit that new personal record (PR) for your squat clean, power clean, clean and jerk, or any olympic lifting movement? While you may be really, really good at doing four sets of five power cleans at 135 pounds (for example) your body won't get stronger by repeating that sequence, only more efficient. Efficiency equals greatness when it comes to picking up your girlfriend on time or putting together a piece of IKEA furniture, but that's not the only goal by the squat rack.

What if we were to tell you that there's a no-fail sequence to that shiny new PR every single time? First things first: Find a program that aligns with your goals, and then see it through to the end before trying something new.

"Yes, it sounds simple," says Rosante. "You may be thinking, 'Yeah, yeah. I know this.' But if you're not getting the results you want, you have to ask yourself whether you just know this or whether you're doing this. Answer honestly."

Don't worry, we've got your magical formula right here. You'll need to know your 1 rep max in the given lift you're looking to PR. That's the most weight you can lift for a single rep. Once you know that, follow the formula below, and then drop us a line @AskMenUK on Twitter when you slay your next lifting session.

Note: Rest 30 to 60 seconds between the first four sets below. This winds up being about as long as it takes to get up and load more weight onto the bar. Rest 2 to 4 minutes between the sets that follow.

After performing a thorough dynamic warm-up:

1) 40 percent of 1RM for 6 reps

2) 50 percent of 1RM for 4 reps

3) 65 percent of 1RM for 2 reps

4) 70 percent of 1RM for 2 reps

5) 80 percent of 1RM for 2 reps

6) 87.5 percent of 1RM for 2 reps

7) 92.5 percent of 1RM for 1 rep

8) 97.5 percent of 1RM for 1 rep

9) Attempt new max

Let's play this out with real numbers, shall we? If currently, the most weight you can bench press for a single rep is 225 pounds, here's what your workout looks like with real numbers.

After performing a thorough dynamic warm-up:

1) 90 lbs x 6 reps

2) 112.5 lbs x 4 reps

3) 146.25 lbs x 2 reps

4) 157.50 lbs x 2 reps

5) 180 lbs x 1 rep

6) 196.87 lbs x 1 rep

7) 208.12 x 1 rep

8) 219.37 x 1 rep

9) New PR: 230 x 1 rep

Before jumping into the deep end, a few pointers:

Don't do this on your own. Always make sure you have a competent spotter when attempting max effort lifts.

In the example above, your new PR attempt is five pounds heavier than your previous record. That's great, but feel free to better your best by a single pound. And be really freakin' proud of it. At the end of the day, it's still more weight than you've ever lifted before.